


Always

by reynabeth



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Based On A Panic! At The Disco Song, But Not Much, F/F, Femslash, Friends to Lovers, Percabeth angst?, Percabeth breakup, Some bad language, Song fic?, fluff?, percabeth, reynabeth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-11
Updated: 2016-03-11
Packaged: 2018-05-26 04:03:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6222919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reynabeth/pseuds/reynabeth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It was always you, falling for me.<br/>Now there's always time, calling for me."<br/>- Always, Panic! at the Disco.</p><p>Annabeth moves into Reyna's house in New Rome. Eventually, they fall in love. Key word: eventually.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Always

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on the song Always by Panic! at the Disco - you'll notice the entire song broken up into chunks, with pieces of my mildly crap writing inbetween. The song lyrics are shown with quotation ('lyric') marks.

'When the world gets too heavy,  
Put it on my back.'

Annabeth Chase stood outside Reyna's door, grime streaking her skin like face paint, a bag containing everything she had in the world resting on her shoulder. 

She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and lifted a fist to knock, half-expecting the windows of the houses around her to bang open, angry voices demanding what a graecus was doing in their city at five in the morning.

But nothing.

Then the door slammed open, and there was Reyna, hair coming loose from a raggedy ponytail and floating around her face. Her eyes were puffy and tired, pillow marks imprinted on her cheek.

“What,” demanded Reyna, “do you want?”

Then she seemed to register the tired, pale face in front of her; recognition sparked in her eyes.

“Oh,” she said. “It's you.”

“Thanks for the warm welcome,” Annabeth replied breezily. “Can I come in?”

Reluctantly, Reyna stood aside, allowing Annabeth entrance. “Seriously, though, why the hell are you on my front steps at five in the morning?”

“Well,” Annabeth began, dropping her backpack onto the carpeted hallway floor. “Basically, Percy and I broke up, and I couldn't be around him and his posse anymore, so I came here. For a little normality, you know?”

“If you think it's normal here,” Reyna snorted, “you can think again.”

“Hey, I love New Rome. But enough of the banter - can I stay?”

“I - sure. You can stay.”

'I'll be your levy,  
You are taking me apart…'

“Thank you!” Annabeth straightened upright and practically hurled herself into Reyna's arms.

Reyna seemed to stiffen slightly (though maybe it was Annabeth’s imagination) before awkwardly patting Annabeth on the back. “It'll be okay,” she said. “Don't worry.” She sounded forced, but at least she was trying.

And at least Annabeth had a home, for the time being.

'...Like bad glue,  
On a get well card.'

Annabeth perched on the edge of the bed. The spare room smelt fresh and new, with some kind of flowery scent, like a hotel. The neatly ironed duvet cover crackled underneath Annabeth's weight.

She'd finally had her first shower in days, and some pretty interesting stuff had been washed down the drain. Now she'd changed into fresh pyjamas, a spare pare of Reyna's. The legs were too long and the waist was too loose, but they were clean, and that was what mattered.

Her damp hair, constrained into a tight ponytail, sent a damp patch spreading over the soft material.

She was just about to jump up and get a towel, when she heard it. A soft noise, almost inaudible, coming from Reyna's room - but she was almost certain it was crying.

Poking her head around the door, she realised she could see opposite into Reyna's room. The praetor had her dark head in her hands, hair spilling over her fingers, and her back was shaking.

Shit. Annabeth wasn't good with people crying.

Instead of, oh, maybe comforting her or anything, Annabeth stood there statue-still, staring at the crying girl.

“What am I going to do?” Reyna murmured. “Oh, what am I going to do?”

Annabeth, feeling like she was intruding on a private moment, made her way back into her room.

'It was always you,  
Falling for me.'

“Are you okay, Annabeth?”

“Yeah. I'm fine. Just - ugh. A bit stressed. That's all.”

“Maybe we should go get some hot chocolate?”

“...thanks.”

'Now there's always time,  
Calling for me.'

“Annabeth? What are you doing?”

Annabeth was, in fact, slumped down on the swing seat in Reyna's back garden, using her toes to rock herself back and forth.

“I'm over here,” she called unenthusiastically.

“Annabeth!” Reyna hurried through the back door, stopping short when she saw the other girl. “What's up?”

“Nothing much...I'm just still a bit upset about the breakup, y'know?”

“I know. It must have been hard.”

“Yeah, well, everyone thought we'd be together forever, Percy and I. But we never really - oh, I don't know. I mean, I liked him - as a friend...there was Luke, see, it was always him. After he died, Percy was there, and I just kind of used him as a distraction - does that make me a bad person? That definitely makes me a bad person.

“And then there was the Giant War, and he went missing - in those months without him, I built up a picture of him and our relationship in my head. I thought it was perfect. After - after Tartarus, I thought we were going to be together forever, traumatic experiences uniting us, but instead it drove us apart even further.

“I never really loved him, not in the way I thought I did. I was glad to break up with him. I thought we could go back to being just friends. But I still - I still - I miss him. I guess I always will. I just don't want to be with him that way anymore.”

Reyna listened to the whole speech in silence. Annabeth sat, very still, head in hands, not meeting the other girl's eyes. Suddenly, she felt a warm, dry hand tentatively pat the top of her head. 

“It's okay,” Reyna told her. “You're young. You have the rest of your life stretching out ahead of you. You'll meet someone new. I promise.”

'I'm the light blinking at the end of the road,  
Blink back to let me know.'

The process of Annabeth's move to New Rome was long and complicated, and it involved several confusing, tedious meetings with the Senate.

Annabeth made her way up the path cut into the hill, towards Reyna's house, after a particularly agonising conference. It was dark by that time, shadows flickering from lit windows of the surrounding houses. Above her, stars glimmered faintly in the vast dark plains.

As she trudged up the road, further and further away from the city, it got darker and darker. Soon, the only light shone from the porch of Reyna's house.

Wait. Why was the porch light on?

A few more tentative steps revealed a figure, slumped on the rusty bench that looked over the city. Reyna. Had she - had she waited up for Annabeth?

“Reyna?” Annabeth called out cautiously. No reply.

Annabeth reached the porch, easily mounting the steps, and bent over the other girl. Reyna's chest was rising and falling steadily, deep breaths puffing from between her parted lips.

Hurrying inside, Annabeth grabbed the tartan blanket that had been casually thrown over the couch, and made her way back out to lay it over Reyna. She stared at the praetor; gazed at her flushed cheeks, open mouth, pink lips. 

She wasn't sure why, but Annabeth leant down and pressed a kiss to Reyna's forehead. “Goodnight,” she whispered, and made her way inside.

'I'm a fly that's trapped,  
In a web…'

“Praetor Frank, please inform the Senate that Annabeth Chase and myself will be taking the day off. We plan to stand in the biggest field we can find and look at the sky.”

'...but I'm thinking that,  
My spider’s dead.'

Her feet stumbled over the red, rocky landscape, breaths coming in thick, shallow pants, bursting from aching lungs. She slipped, skidded, slid over, grazing her knees and elbows, but she pushed herself upright and kept on running.

In the fiery sky above, voices echoed; cruel, harsh words spilling from spiked lips. She tried to cover her ears, stop the words from getting into her mind, but to no avail: they were in her head, in her bones, in her blood. 

Demons circled around her, closing in. No matter how fast she ran, she couldn't escape. Below her, the body of the eternal spirit of the pit; above her, the truth - oh, the awful truth - penetrated her ears, her brain; behind her screeched the demons, the arai. And ahead of her - ahead of her sat Akhlys, the goddess of misery, tears of blood dripping from her ruined eye sockets. 

Akhlys was choking, drowning, and Annabeth knew, with a horrifying fascination, that it was Percy killing the goddess. And then Annabeth herself was the goddess, and Percy was suffocating her; when she tried to tell him to stop, the poison stifled her words and melted her throat.

The scene changed. She was back in the caverns underneath Rome, her leg throbbing as if it were newly broken. Spiders crawled up the walls, a black writhing carpet. They scuttled onto her arms, her legs, pulling her under, and she couldn't breathe. 

The spiders parted, and there was Arachne. Silver silk dangled from her enormous chomping mandibles. Annabeth screamed, sure that it was the creature's revenge on Annabeth’s trickery of her. 

She couldn't help but think she was close to death, but then she felt it: a cool sensation on her head, as if someone was stroking her hair, and soft, soothing murmurs, calming her breathing and forcing back the panic.

Annabeth opened her eyes. 

The bedspread was hot, damp, tangled around her sweaty limbs, but the air was cool - as was Reyna's hand on her forehead. “It's okay,” Reyna murmured. “It's okay. I'm here. You're safe.”

'Lonely, lonely little life,  
I could kid myself,  
Into thinking that I'm fine.'

Annabeth ran a hand through her scraggly hair, grunting in frustration. The move just wasn't working: every time she finally thought it would be okay, the Senate found another problem with it - or with her.

Suddenly, an Iris message shimmered into view beside her. She jumped, but quickly righted herself when she saw Percy's face, smoothing her hair down quickly.

“Hey, Annabeth,” Percy said, tiredly.

“Hey.” Annabeth knew she sounded shy, which wasn't like her. 

“Look, I'll cut to the chase.” He snorted. Annabeth didn't laugh. “I want you back. I'm sorry. Can we make it work?”

Annabeth went still. “W - what?” she stammered.

“I want you back. We can try; we can fix this, I know we can. We can fix us. Everybody says we were perfect together - and they're right! We are perfect. I need you back, Annabeth, please.”

“No.” Annabeth's tongue felt fat and heavy in her mouth. “No. I don't want to get back together. I'm - I'm sorry. But I can't.”

“Why not?”

Because I've been having weird thoughts about Reyna, Percy, and I think I'm gay. Or maybe bisexual, I don't know, but I'm not attracted to you anymore. There was no way in hell she was saying that to him, though.

“I just - I can't.”

And with that, she cut the connection, dropped her face into her hands, and burst into tears.

'It was always you,  
Falling for me.'

Shit, she was pretty sure she was in love with Reyna.

'Now there's always time,  
Calling for me.'

Annabeth was perched on the front steps when she saw Reyna making her way up the hill. Immediately, she jumped to her feet and ran to meet her.

“What did the Senate say?” she called breathlessly.

Even Reyna's best poker face couldn't stop the smile breaking out. “They approved it! You're moving to New Rome, Annabeth!”

Annabeth gave a squeak of delight, and flung herself into Reyna's arms. The praetor’s black braid mingled with Annabeth's blonde curls as they embraced.

“Calm down,” laughed Reyna, setting her down. “It's not all good news - they say it'll take a long time...filling in all the paperwork, you know, but it’ll be worth it, right?”

“Oh, it'll be worth it,” agreed Annabeth, practically catatonic with joy. “It'll definitely be worth it.” 

“In the mean time, you're still stuck with me. Okay?” Reyna's eyes were big, and dark, and Annabeth felt a strange twist in her stomach, something she hadn't felt since Luke.

'I'm the light blinking at the end of the road,  
Blink back to let me know.'

“The nightmares are getting really bad lately.”

“Oh, I'm -” 

“Before the breakup, Percy used to sleep with me - I mean, in the same bed! We didn't - we never - we just - he would just hold me, and the nightmares would ease…”

“Are you trying to hint something?” 

“Oh, shut up.” 

“Of course I will. If it helps.”

'That I'm skin and bone,  
Just a king and a rusty throne.'

“You know,” said Reyna, “I always saw you as some kind of superhuman figure. You were brave and strong and proud, yet also relaxed and happy and successful. I didn't know how you managed it, but it impressed me.”

Annabeth thought hard, processing Reyna’s words. The warm sunlight pouring in through the window of the café they sat in was making her drowsy. 

“I always thought the same of you,” she managed at last, hands wrapping tighter around the mug of hot chocolate resting on the table in front of her.

“Well,” said Reyna. “I guess we’re both a bit anticlimactic.”

“You could say that,” Annabeth agreed.

'Oh, the castle's under siege,  
But the sign outside says, “Leave me alone.”'

By this point, Annabeth was totally, definitely, absolutely sure she was in love with Reyna.

It was all too much. Every brush of skin, every time Annabeth woke from screaming nightmares to Reyna's cool fingers on her face, every shared mug of hot chocolate or hug - it was just too much.

She did what any normal person in her situation would do: lock herself in her room and refuse to come out.

At least she wouldn't have to see Reyna.

It wasn't that Annabeth had anything against homosexuality, it was just - she had always been so sure she was straight, and then along came Reyna, turning everything she had thought upside down.

What was she going to do?

'It was always you,  
Falling for me.'

“Annabeth, please, come out of your room: you can't stay in there forever, you know. Please, Annabeth, stop ignoring me. Whatever it is, I'll try to fix it. Promise. Annabeth! I think I've fallen in love with you; I have been since I first saw your face. I've fallen for you, Annabeth, but it doesn't feel like falling, it feels like flying. You're beautiful and brave and strong and far too good to be trapping yourself in your own room -” 

The door slammed open, revealing Annabeth, blonde hair floating like a halo above her head.

“What?” she demanded.

'Now there's always time  
Calling for me.'

“I'm sorry, Reyna, I just -” Annabeth ran a hand up her face and through her hair, pushing it back over her shoulder.

“I was in there because - because I've fallen too. Just as hard. And, after what happened with Percy, I didn't want to be hurt again.”

“I would never hurt you like Percy did,” Reyna vowed, and Annabeth knew she was being truthful. It felt like being filled with rays of light; total acceptance, trust, hope. Love.

“I know,” said Annabeth, and she took a step forwards, tilting her head up, closing the last inch between them - though that gap felt like miles.

'I'm the light blinking at the end of the road,  
Blink back to let me know,  
(It was always you.)'

Their lips met.

Annabeth could taste mint on Reyna's lips - lip balm, perhaps - and something else, the strong, heady scent of life.

Because what else was Reyna if not alive?

It was cheesy, but fireworks seemed to explode behind Annabeth's eyelids. And not just in her eyes, every cell in her body felt like it was melting, melting under Reyna's touch.

Annabeth sighed, tangling her hands in the praetor's dark hair, pulling it free from the braid. Long, soft waves sprung free, and Annabeth gripped them, as if she were drowning - or, perhaps, falling.

But she wasn't falling. She was flying.

'Blink back to let me know,  
(It was always you.)'

They broke apart, cheeks flushed, eyes shining.

“I've been so blind,” murmured Annabeth, awestruck. “How did I not notice? You were here, all along, right in front of my eyes. How did I not see you? How could I have been so focused on the past, I ignored what was waiting for me in the present?”

“The future too, hopefully,” Reyna replied, pressing a soft kiss to Annabeth's forehead.

“The future, too,” Annabeth agreed.

“I love you.” It was perhaps the most open Reyna had ever sounded, open like a book, vulnerable like an infant.

“I love you too.” 

And, as the sun painted the horizon gold, they kissed again, and again, and again. They held each other tight, as if they could never let go. And, Annabeth knew, with a growing certainty, she never would.

**Author's Note:**

> This took, like, three days, so sorry for its rubbishness. But I couldn't not do Reynabeth for this song. Oops. Kudos, maybe? Or a comment? I love to know how I can improve!


End file.
